The Eternal Five
by GeorgeLover
Summary: After the fiasco in the Ministry of Magic, Harry and Voldemort team together with three unlikely witches, one who is a Necromancer, one an outcast, and one supposedly a squib. what happens when Dumbledore discovers he no longer has a puppet on his strings
1. Intro The World’s Disgrace

**A/N: Welcome to our first lengthy fanfiction!**

**Disclaimer: we don't own the Harry Potter universe. If we did, it would be more centered around the 'Dark Side'. Unfortunately, it isn't.**

Intro – The World's Disgrace

_Flashback_

The dark mist swirled and coiled, keeping the Shadows' hidden and the Light at bay. Screams and shouts could be heard, as well as the marching of many feet and the harsh, ragged beating of wings.

A loud roar rent the air, followed by a few flashes of green and red light. Someone screamed a curse and the roaring died down to a pitiful whine.

"Give it up, Potter."

The voice was cold and malicious. The figure who spoke leered down at the trembling body at his feet.

The boy raised his pale face and stared up at the figure with wide, pleading green eyes. "Please," he whispered, "I don't care, just leave Circe alone."

Cold blue eyes stared into beseeching ones. "And why should I? You, and that… _thing_, are a disgrace to our kind."

Immediately, anger shone on the boys face.

"Disgrace?!" He spat, "It's you who is the disgrace, old fool! You betrayed your own kind, choosing to side with those who tried to destroy us!"

The blue eyes flashed with fury and the old man snarled, "We trusted you! You were supposed to be our savior! You were supposed to kill _HIM_!"

The boy closed his eyes and swayed to his feet, clutching his arm which was twisted at an unnatural angle. A smirk crossed the boy's lips and he opened his emerald eyes.

All blood left the old man's face and he stumbled back, pointing his wand at the seemingly unarmed boy.

The boy's eyes shone with a manic light, his pupils turned slit, like that of a cat. The smirk formed into a grin and a laugh bubbled out of his throat, causing the old man to flinch.

"You know what?" the boy whispered, cat-like eyes shining, "I was supposed to be the lightest wizard of them all. The figure head of the light, I suppose."

Out of the mist, there was a snarl and blood-curdling screams rent the air. Behind the boy, a shadow loomed. Red liquid dripped from the reptilian mouth and emerald eyes, like those of the boy, pierced the old man with fury and hunger.

"But instead," the boy continued, delight filling his voice, "I turned out to be one of the Darkest of them all!"

Laughter spilled from the boy and he grinned at the old man. The dragon raised her blood-stained muzzle and roared, serrated white teeth gleaming. The old man screamed.

The old man turned to run, but found himself standing rigid, unable to move. The boy, with cat-like grace, sauntered forward, bending down to pick up the old mans discarded wand. With a mocking smile, the boy twirled the wand a few times before snapping it in half right in front of the old man's eyes.

"And guess what?" the boy purred, false pity shining in his eyes. "All of it, every single little thing, is thanks to you, Dumbledore."

**A/N: Well? What do you think?? R&R, no flames please. We aint as fireproof as we'd like to be.**


	2. Chapter One Without Hope

**A/N: Well, chapter one's up! hope you enjoy a Dark Harry and the surprises we have install.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own the Harry Potter universe. If we did, it'd be centered more around the 'Dark Side'. Unfortunately, it isn't.**

Chapter 1 – Without Hope

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, stormed through the abandoned hallways; the suits of armor frosting over with ice and falling to the ground with loud crashes. Like blood flowing through veins, the ice spread over the floor wherever the boy's feet landed. His fists were clenched, the veins popping out of the skin and a dark fury could be seen with just a single glance at his face.

His emerald eyes swirled with strong emotion, chilling passers by with a single glare.

_How could he keep those things from me?_ Harry raged in his head. _Because of me, Sirius is dead! It wouldn't have happened if only he had told me!_

The pissed off teen continued on his way to the Gryffindor common room, glaring at anything and anyone that came across him. When he reached the fat lady's portrait, she took one fearful look at him, and swung open.

Immediately, he was assaulted with cries of "Harry, you're back!" "What happened at the ministry?" "So it's true, You-Know-Who's back?"

Harry merely glared at everyone, and the questions died down to an awkward silence. The crowd part in half as Harry took a step forward and slowly walked towards the fifth year boys' dorms.

"Harry?"

The boy stopped and turned to face the girl who had spoken.

Hermione Granger's face was flushed with nervous excitement, and from behind her, Ronald Weasley glared.

Harry was miffed, _what the hell do_ they _want?_

Hermione hesitated, torn between looking excited and sympathetic, and said softly. "I'm so sorry about Padfoot, Harry."

Harry's anger reached a boiling point. How dare she bring him up? "Look, you pathetic little mudblood," a look of shock crossed Hermione's face at the insult Harry just called her. "I don't need your pathetic sympathy, I just-"

"Harry James Potter?"

The Boy-Who-Lived halted at the interruption and turned his icy glare to the person who had spoken. All emotion was whipped of his face.

Four Aurors stood at the head of the crowd with each of their wands trained towards him. A blond woman, with a stern voice, spoke again, "Are you Harry James Potter?"

Harry frowned in confusion and nodded.

The four Aurors circled him and the blond woman said, "You are under arrest for breaking into a classified section of the Ministry of Magic, false accusations against Minister Fudge, and use of an Unforgivable, the Cruciatus Curse." She paused for breath and then continued, "All of this has resulted in your immediate expulsion of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry." The Auror summoned Harry's wand before he could move, and she placed it within her robes. "You will be sent to Azkaban without trial on the orders of Cornelius Fudge, he and Headmaster Dumbledore believe you are too dangerous to be allowed a trial."

_Dumbledore's in on this? What the hell's going on?_

Harry was so shocked he barley registered the fact that the Auror's had bound his hands behind his back. He turned to Ron and flinched at the glare that he received.

"Why?" Harry whispered. Why would his friends betray him like this?

Ron's glare was full of jealousy and hatred, and his reply was, "You deserve to be with the Dementors for using Dark Magic."

Harry was shocked as he turned back to the lead Auror. "What's going on?"

The Auror looked frustrated and turned to Ron. "Is he always this slow?" She demanded.

"Yes." Ron leered.

Harry couldn't believe what was happening. Why would his best friends betray him like this?

So deep was he in shock, that he didn't notice the Aurors marching him past all the pale, stunned faces and out of the common room, past the corridors and empty classrooms and into the Great Hall.

Harry only woke up from his daze when they exited the castle and were down in the grounds.

"No!" Harry started struggling, pulling at the cuffs that bound his hands together.

†

The man sat in the dark room, watching the pool of water before him carefully. A small smirk played across his lips as he watched the events play out. He didn't so much as blink when the door slammed open a four people hurried in, two men and two women.

By all rights, they looked young; no older than twenty-two years of age. But their eyes told a different story. Each pair of eyes held tales of ageless wisdom, unknown horrors, and untold kindness.

The first man finally looked up and his smirk widened across his pale lips. This man was tall; around six foot, with nearly translucent skin and crimson, cat-like eyes.

"Finally decided to show up, I see." Lord Voldemort grinned, "I was afraid you were going to miss the show."

The tallest of the two men stood foreword with a sarcastic smile. He had tanned skin with stubble growing on his chin, curly blond hair and twinkling blue eyes. "How's he doing?" He asked with a deep, rumbling voice.

Voldemort sat up straight and gestured to the bowl, "Take a look for yourself."

Behind the blond, the other man sauntered foreword. He had long, black hair and a single silver streak that went past his shoulders, and dark emerald eyes.

"Oh, dear Godric!" He faked a swoon and leaned against the blond's, Godric's, shoulder. "How could we ever live without your obsession of asking stupid questions that have obvios answers?"

He stalked past Godric and over to Voldemort, glaring at the blond man with disdain, "you are such a-"

"Will you both shut up for just _one_ second?" the tallest of the women snapped. Long, silver hair cascaded down her back and her vibrant violent eyes glared at the two men. "I am so sick of you baiting each other, it's driving me insane! You are both as bad as each other!"

The other woman, who was plump and had a bushy mas of curly red hair and warm brown eyes, chuckled. All she said was, "Great minds think alike."

"My Lords and Ladies," Voldemort said and motioned for them all to sit down. "Let the show begin."

**A/N: Dundundun, the plot thickens. can u guess who the four people are? be sure to check the competition in our other story, Why you shouldn't get Voldemort angry, for a mention in this story. please, R&R! NO FLAMES ARE WELCOME. but constructive criticism is.**


	3. Chapter Two The Heir of the Greatest 4

**AN: Seph speaking here, we're FINALLY able to post the next chapter of the Eternal Five, we are so sorry for the delay. Alas, my other half ditched me-**

**GL: Hey!**

**Seph: -and went on a holiday. Unfortunately, she was the only one to have the login password . *sour face*. Anyways, here it is now! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Check the first two chapters.**

Chapter two – Heir of the Greatest Four

Harry twisted and writhed, kicking out and striking one of the Aurors in the shin. The Auror let go of him with a grunt and ended up tripping over one of the other Aurors, causing them both to collapse to the ground in a heap of struggling limbs.

Harry's fury shot way past boiling point.

With a snarl, he wrenched apart his hands, breaking the magical handcuffs and then turned to face the lead Auror, a feral snarl on his lips. He didn't know where the instincts were coming from, he didn't understand them either. All that he felt right then was the need to survive, to escape; to kill if necessary.

The lead Auror had her wand out and was struggling to keep her calm composure. What was this kid? She was told this was supposed to be easy and simple. But, the Auror could feel the boy's magic writhing in the air, and it chilled her to the very marrow in her bones. What is he? The Auror raised her wand and screamed out a stunner, hoping that it would hit. But somehow, she knew it was a futile attempt.

Harry whirled around, the stunner missing him by a hairs breadth.

"Give it up, Potter!" the lead Auror yelled, sending another stunner careening towards him. Like the first one, Harry dodged it with ease. The Auror felt fear well in the pit of her stomach, for the first time since the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort.

"Never!" Harry growled and stuck up the middle finger of his hand at her, then jumping out of the way as another Auror tried to tackle him to the ground.

†

Albus Dumbledore watched this from his office, a slight frown on his wrinkled face. This wasn't happening as planned. Potter was supposed to go quietly, not fight back. he was supposed to be broken. The compulsion charm he had put on the boy should have seen to that.

"This isn't going as planned," he muttered and turned away from the window. "Fawkes!" he called.

No response.

The Headmaster's frown deepened. "FAWKES!" he called louder. Where was that blasted phoenix? Lately, Fawkes had been disappearing on Albus a lot, and it was really starting to peeve the Headmaster off.

_I thought phoenixes were supposed to be loyal,_ he thought before tuning back to the window.

That, of course, turned out to be a really bad mistake.

Behind Dumbledore, a ball of black and gold fire appeared above the Headmaster's desk. The ball of fire quickly gained shape, forming a wingspan of nearly four feet and a large, swan-like bird appeared. The fire in the air crackled around the phoenix, and the immortal bird's eyes pierced Dumbledore's back with fury and contempt.

The phoenix that was Fawkes let out a cry of sorrow and hatred as it beat its gold and black wings, sending fire raining down and igniting the desk and several of Albus' other possessions on fire.

Hearing the commotion, the Headmaster whirled around with a gasp as he saw the phoenix.

The phoenix swooped towards a nearby bookshelf and picked up an old battered and tattered hat with his golden talons. He rose up in the air, a whirlwind of flames circling him, and he opened his black, slightly serrated beak and sang a mocking farewell.

†

Harry stood still, tense, glaring at the four Aurors that had their wands trained at him.

"Potter," the lead Auror sounded breathless and terrified as she spoke, "Give up and come quietly, and no one has to be hurt."

The Boy-Who-Lived lifted his chin in defiance and he snarled, "I will never give up!"

And, on a sudden impulse that he could not resist, Harry looked towards one of the towers, the one that contained the Headmaster's office, just in time to see it explode in a pyre of black flames.

Startled, Harry watched as a black and gold phoenix flew towards him and land lightly on his shoulder, dropping the tattered, old sorting hat into his hands.

"You're with me in this, aren't you Fawkes?" Harry whispered, already reaching into the hat. He didn't know how he knew this bird was Fawkes; he just felt as if that was who the bird was.

_Not Fawkes anymore,_ a voice hissed within Harry's mind. _Ignis, I am Ignis._ The very voice sounded like crackling fire.

Harry nodded, a small grim smile forming on his lips. "So be it, Ignis." He turned to the Aurors whose eyes were flickering between him, the destroyed tower, and Ignis, who was sitting comfortably on his shoulder.

"I hope you are prepared." Harry's lips moved, but it wasn't his voice that spoke. It sounded like the crackling of fire. "For you will all die for opposing the Heir of the Greatest Four!"

Now, any _normal_ person would be scared out of their wits at not being able to control their own body. But, as it was proved many times throughout Harry's life, he was no where near normal. What was happening now was proof of that. Harry knew he should be scared, his body wasn't listening to his mind as his arm was pulling something long and heavy out of the Sorting Hat. But Ignis was repeating in Harry's mind that it would all be okay. Harry decided to trust the phoenix. He felt himself drop the hat and raise the heavy thing he had pulled out in front of him.

Then suddenly, Harry could control his own body again. He looked at the thing he held and inwardly gasped at its beauty. It was a sword, but not the one that Harry had been expecting,

The blade was made of what looked to be pure black crystal, with silver words on the flat of the blade. Where Harry expected the words 'Godric Gryffindor' to be, instead there was the latin phrase 'Draco Dormiens Nanquam Titilandus'.

_Never tickle a sleeping dragon._

On the hilt and pommel, four crystals were embedded into the twisted, intricately wrought black metal. One ruby on the hilt. One emerald on the pommel, and a topaz and a sapphire on either sides of the ruby.

_You are the Founder's heir,_ Ignis whispered in his mind._ You have always been, borne of those whose blood is twisted with that of the Founders. But you are not the only one, there are five other. More will be explained after-_

But the phoenix's explanation was cut short as one of the Aurors screamed out, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry let his instincts take control, rolling out of the way of the sickly green light. Without a second thought, Harry raised the sword and charged, slicing through the nearest Auror , the one who had shouted the killing curse. The sword cut through his body like a hot knife through butter, causing a shower of blood to encompass Harry. The boy didn't so much as blink, whirling past a stunning curse and decapitating another Auror.

The other two Aurors, one of which was the leader, were frozen in shock, watching as the Boy-Who-Lived turned towards them. A feral smile graced Harry's lips.

The lead Auror could only watch in horror as her fellow Aurors were slaughtered, the last of whom was stabbed through the chest and collapsed next to her, convulsing on the ground. She flinched as she felt something cold and sharp prick her neck.

She was alone now, faced with a demon. A demon who had the edge of a sword pressed against her throat.

"What are you?" she whispered, wand arm hanging limply at her side.

The boy's emerald eyes flashed with some unidentified emotion and his smile fell. The phoenix, who was still sitting on his shoulder, started singing. A song full of sorrow, but with an undertone of hope.

It brought tears to the Aurors eyes. She knew she was about to die, and accepted it.

"What am I?" the boy mused. "I don't know." And then the blade moved.

The Auror was dead before the last not of the phoenix song died into silence.

**AN: Review please! Flames are welcome (Not really, but only if you feel the need), but please, if you wish to insult us, try to be creative. Till next time, toodles!**


	4. Chapter Three What Have I Done?

**A/N: As a treat me (GL) and Seph decided to post the next chapter right away because of my 'little' holiday. So here it is!**

**Disclaimer: See first 2 chapters.**

Chapter Three – What Have I Done?

The people in the room sat in a contemplative silence as they watched the water filled bowl, each pair of eyes trained on the small figure of the boy as he collapsed to the ground.

"What have I done?" they heard his whisper, and watched as he clutched his head with bloodstained hands.

"Poor boy." The woman with frizzy red hair said, her brown eyes full of sympathy. "He shouldn't have this responsibility on his shoulders."

"He has no choice," the black haired man said with a small grimace. "_We _have no choice."

"There is always a choice!" the silver haired woman snapped.

"Not always." The blond man sighed and stood up. "Lord Riddle?"

The Dark Lord looked up in surprise, "Yes, Lord Gryffindor?"

Godric Gryffindor's eyes looked at the boys figure with pity, saying, "It's time to fetch the boy, before the Ministry sends more Aurors and while the Hogwarts wards are still down."

Voldemort bowed at the waist, "Of course, my Lord. I shall do so immediately." He left the room with quick, graceful strides.

Godric turned to the black haired man, "Sally, what do you think?"

Salazar Slytherin scowled. "I told you to stop calling me by that infernal nickname! And I think the boy is powerful, more powerful than expected."

Godric turned to the silver haired woman. "Weeny?"

Like Salazar, Rowena Ravenclaw scowled at the nickname, but chose to ignore it, saying, "I agree with Salazar, the boy is powerful. But he needs to be trained. I spoke to Ignis before that blasted bird so _inconspicuously _blew up that old fool's tower, and he said that the boy was one of the strongest wizards he has ever come across. Ignis said that Dumbledore put a block on Harry's magic when he was a baby, because apparently he could sense the boy's power and didn't want him to become a Dark Lord. But I think that's not it, I think he knows of the prophecy. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if he _does_ know the prophecy!

"Apparently, Dumbledore had been placing compulsions on Harry ever since he had started going to Hogwarts. The boy managed to break free after his god father was 'killed' in the Department of Mysteries a few hours ago. Now, as we know, Sirius Black is safe and currently asleep in one of the guest quarters, after Severus brought him to us after Dumbledore told him, to kill Black. Severus didn't."

"Yes, yes, we know all this." Godric cut in. "There's no need to give us a lecture!"

Rowena only rolled her eyes and continued, "Harry's magic broke free and is now awakening the other half, hence the animalistic instincts. Now that we have him, all we have to do is tell the other two and find the third."

"technically," Helga Hufflepuff said, sweeping her red hair out of her face, "we don't _have_ him just yet. He still has to agree to accompany Tom."

"And when he does get here," Salazar slumped down in his chair with a sigh. "We can start his training."

†

The bloody sword fell from Harry's limp grasp as everything that had just taken place registered in his mind.

_Harry?_ Ignis asked, concerned at the look of Horror that crossed Harry's face.

The boy fell to his knees, staring at the carnage that surrounded him. "What have I done?" he whispered and clutched his head, tears welling in his eyes.

He had killed. He had murdered human beings.

Beside him, Ignis let out a soft, comforting croon. _You did what you had to do. _The phoenix said in his mind, _you had no choice. They would have locked you up given the chance._

Tears streaking down his cheeks, Harry turned to the large, immortal creature. "What's going on?" he whispered. "First, Sirius died, then this… this new _power_, I get lied to by Dumbledore, then m-my friends betray me… What the fuck's going on?!"

"We can answer that, Harry."

The Boy-Who-Lived looked up sharply. He knew that voice. A few feet away, the Dark Lord Voldemort stood with his hands clasped in front of him.

Harry felt fear well up inside of him. "y-you!" he gasped. "What d-do you want?"

Then he noticed the tall, black haired woman standing behind the Dark Lord, as if she wanted to stay hidden. Immediately, fury override he's fear.

"you!" Harry snapped, struggling to his feet and picking up the black sword. "You killed Sirius!"

Bellatrix Lestrange flinched at the accusation and bowed her head. Voldemort sighed and shook his head, saying softly, "Harry, your god father isn't dead."

No; he didn't believe it. he backed away. _I won't believe it! _

"Please, Harry." Bellatrix pleaded. "Please, listen to Tom!"

Tom?! Since when did Voldemort allow his followers to call him Tom? And why isn't he torturing her for not showing respect?

Voldemort stood tall, looking Harry in the eye. He wasn't the snake-like monster that had haunted Harry's dreams for nearly all his life; instead, he had long black hair that cascaded down his back, a straight, aristocratic nose, and crimson, cat-like eyes.

Confusion shot through Harry. _What the hell…_

_Listen to them, Harry._ Ignis crooned, rubbing his black and gold head against Harry's forearm._ They are not what Albus Dumbledore claimed them to be._

The Boy-Who-Lived clenched his eyes shut, breathing in deeply. He could smell the blood that coated him, and almost gagged. He heard footsteps coming towards him, then stoping by his side. Kneeling down next the trembling boy, Bellatrix placed a hand on his shoulder. The Dark Lord, who was beside her, did the same on Harry's other side. The boy flinched but didn't draw away; Tom Riddle took that as a good sign.

"Tell me," Tom strained his ears to hear the softly spoken words. "Why did you kill my parents?"

The Dark Lord sighed. There is no way in hell Harry would believe him, but he had to be honest. "You must believe me, Harry," Tom started, "I didn't kill Lily and James Potter. They were on my side."

Harry looked up sharply, disbelief etched on his features. "What?"

Tom closed his red eyes and grimaced. "I don't know if you'll believe me, but," he opened his eyes and turned his face towards Hogwarts. The Headmaster's tower was still burning, and screams of panic could be heard. Tom turned back to Harry, "I was framed. I would not kill my own followers."

Harry frowned, "who would-" but then it all clicked into place.

Dumbledore.

†

The fire encompassed him, and it took all of Albus' self control not to scream in rage.

No, no, NO! It wasn't supposed to happen like this! Just before the fire could do any damage, Albus created a shield around his body, and then covered his eyes against the glare as everything exploded around him. The shock wave sent him crashing to the ground, and the old Headmaster felt the bones in his left arm snap. Then, Albus' eyes widened as he felt the Hogwarts' wards fall.

He grit his teeth and cursed, waiting for the fire's glare to die down.

This wasn't supposed to happen!

The Aurors had failed, the wards are down, Harry is loose, and Fawkes had betrayed him!

He just couldn't wrap his mind around that. Phoenixes were supposed to be creatures of pure Light, so why was one supporting the Dark?

A small little voice in the back of his head said, that maybe, Harry isn't Dark. Just maybe, Albus had managed to keep him from going down that path.

But dragging himself up of his destroyed, debris ridden office floor, Dumbledore looked out over the Hogwarts grounds just in time to see Harry kill all four of the Aurors.

_No,_ Dumbledore thought with conviction._ Harry is now just like Riddle. There is no turning back._

He closed his eyes as he saw Voldemort appear and approach Harry. A desperate hope welled up inside of him, a hope that the three others would not get involved, that the prophecy would not be fulfilled.

He opened his eyes again just in time to see Harry take Voldemort's hand and Apparate away, Bellatrix following and Fawkes disappearing in a flash of fire.

_As long as I am alive,_ Dumbledore thought with utter conviction. _I will not allow the five to come together. The Dark will not win!_

†

Miles away, on the coast of Australia just as the sun was rising; a girl awoke with a gasp. Silk black sheets twisted constrictively around her sweat soaked body, and her long blond hair was matted and clinging to her face.

"Alexis," she gasped, wrenching open the curtains of her bed. "Alexis, wake up!"

A groan came from the bed next to hers. "Circe," _yawn_, "what's wrong?"

The girls stood up and started pacing. Then suddenly, she stopped, fingering the silver collar she wore around her throat. A mirthless smile twisted her lips and she turned to the other girls, Alexis.

"I think," she whispered, "a war has just begun."

**A/N: See other chapters for review rules... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE R&R, we have cookies!**


	5. Chapter Four A Hell of a lot of HooHa

**AN: HELLOOOOOOOO! We are back! So sorry for the wait (again) and we hope you find this chapter interesting! Enjoy!**

Chapter Four – A Hell of a lot of Hoo-ha

She awoke with a gasp, black hair plastered against her sweaty face. Wild brown eyes looked around in panic as she staggered to her feet, off of the old, rickety bed, and into the adjoining room. Reaching the toilet, she collapsed to her knees over the seat and started heaving, her stomachs contents rolling and bile rushing up her throat. With gasping breaths, she curled into a sitting position, her head resting on the white marble sink behind her. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not allow herself such weakness.

The last remnants of the Nightmare slowly drifted away, and she took one last, shuddering breath as the tears disappeared, letting an emotionless mask cover her face. _Just a dream,_ she told herself._ It was just a stupid dream._

She was brought out of her thoughts when a shrill alarm rang; vibrating the stone floor she sat upon. She felt confusion for a moment, wandering what it was; and then a smirk graced her pale lips.

Oh yes, she remembered now.

Swiftly, she stood up on shaky legs and stalked out of the bathroom and into her moonlit room. With her smirk growing into a sadistic grin, she quickly dressed into a flowing white satin shirt and black leather pants, pulling on a pair of high heeled dragon-hide boots and black leather gauntlets. She donned a belt of knives around her waist, and stashed a few in hidden places around her body. She pulled her hair into a rough pony-tail and threw on a black winter cloak.

She paused in the doorway, her brown eyes roaming around the place that had been her home during her forced exile.

"Soon," she whispered her voice hoarse from disuse, "I will have my revenge."

†

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was angry.

No, scratch angry, make that furious.

When the headmaster had finally managed to stop the raging fire that encompassed his tower (without any aid), he found out that not only had his weapon managed to escape with the Dark Lord, the wards surrounding Hogwarts gone without a trace and his belongings (minus his wand and a few trinkets) totally burnt beyond recognition; it turned out that the Gryffindors' had caused a riot with the Slytherins. In other words, every one joined in and a mini war was held in the Great Hall. The teachers' attempts to dissuade the chaos failed. Spectacularly.

Right at that very moment, over half of the uninjured of the student population was serving detention, a quarter was shuffling in and out of the hospital wing with minor injuries, and the rest were fuming in their common rooms.

Currently, Albus was hosting an Order meeting in his recently repaired office, and the members were on the receiving end of his rage.

"Dammit!" Albus spat, pacing back and forth behind his new desk. "How could this have happened? I'm the headmaster, the castle should obey me, and me only! Why is it not responding?!"

Now, despite what others may think, Hogwarts castle was a sentient being. Her creators did not intend for her to be as intelligent as she is now, they merely wanted a castle created for a school of magic to teach in. but through unforeseen circumstances, the magical residue that was left from the creation created a sentient being.

Hogwarts remembered every child that passed through her halls, and she saw them as her own children. When the heirs of her creators walked through her halls she was overcome with happiness. Dumbledore was one of those heirs, being a descendant of Godric Gryffindor; but Hogwarts no longer saw him as her child. She was disgusted by how corrupt he had come, all for the 'Greater Good'.

And right then, Hogwarts was angry. How dare that man treat her chosen heir like a mindless, emotionless weapon?

Hogwarts made a decision. She would no longer aid the insane man in any way, how ever small the deed may be. He was no longer her headmaster, nor her child.

……

Hermione Granger watched the pacing, cursing headmaster with apprehension. She didn't know what to believe any more; her headmaster, the man she had looked up to since she found out she was a witch, or Harry Potter, the first person to accept her for who she was, as a friend. Her very first friend.

Beside her, Ron sat glaring at the table and muttering obscenities under his breath. Unlike her, the Weasleys had an unwavering loyalty in Dumbledore, and if he said Harry was Dark, they believed him.

However, Hermione was having second thoughts.

She, unlike the close-minded Weasley next to her, believed that just because someone was Dark, does not mean that they are evil. She remembered something that Harry told her at the end of their first year, after the incident with the Philosopher's Stone.

_The hospital wing was quiet. They were the only ones left, Ron having been cleared to leave hours ago. Hermione had been cleared to leave as well, but she did not go._

_Harry looked at her and said, "When I faced Quirrel, he told me something, 'Mione. And for some reason, I believed him."_

"_What did he say?" She had asked, concerned for her friend. The incident had left her shaken, and for some reason she did not want to leave Harry's side._

"_He said 'There is no good or evil, there is only power, and those to weak to seek it.' And I actually believe him. Does that make me a bad person? For trusting in some thing my parents' murderer said?" she could see desperation in his eyes._

_Hermione smiled. "Of course not, Harry." She murmured and drew him into a hug, "We are all entitled to our own opinions, and if you wish to believe that; I, nor anyone else, will not stop you."_

"What are we going to do?" Ron Shouted beside her, causing her to jump in her seat. She hadn't realized she had been lost in thought.

Dumbledore stopped pacing and slumped in the chair behind his desk with a weary sigh.

"I'm sorry, my friends," he said, a sad, grandfatherly smile on his lips. "I fear that Harry is a lost cause. The only option is to somehow capture him, or to kill him."

Hermione saw right through the grandfatherly charade, having just witnessed the anger he had just unleashed. _Can't say the same for the others, though,_ she thought, glancing at the assembled order members. _They are all marionettes._

She gazed back at the Headmaster and was startled to see the hate in his eyes.

"We cannot let the Dark win," Albus said, standing up and pacing once again. "If we do, chaos would reign and the good people of Britain would be enslaved!" a resounding cheer echoed in the small office as Order members roared their agreement. "They will never win, and we will never back down!"

Hermione looked around at the cheering witches and wizards in disgust. How could they approve of this? Did they not see the manipulation the headmaster was spewing forth? Then her eyes caught sight of one Severus Snape.

His eyes bore hatred and disgust as he stared at the headmaster, his usual sneer in place. Then his gaze turned to her. Hermione did not know what he saw in her, but his face lightened and he gave a small, barely noticeable nod.

At that moment, Hermione realized something. _In every Darkness shines a light, remember even Hell is bright._ A rhyme that her father had taught her when she was a little girl, and she had thought she'd forgotten it. Until now.

_I'm no longer a puppet of Albus Dumbledore. My strings are cut._

She looked at Snape, and a message passed between them.

'Meet me in the potions classroom,' a voice whispered in her head. She wasn't surprised, Harry had told her that Snape was a Legilimins.

The girl nodded her head.

_Albus Dumbledore, you will rue the day you crossed Hermione Jean Granger._

†

Harry gaped.

The library was enormous! Every wall was covered in bookshelves, the entire two levels of then, and not to mention the rows creating a labyrinth on the ground. Books, big books, small books, thin books, thin books, you name it! They were every where!

But that wasn't the most impressive feature.

The ceiling depicted the night sky, and the constellations twinkled with silver light. Harry was awed; the moon shone with round fullness, and for an instant, he pictured Remus as Moony, his sleek fur rippling with every movement of muscle as he ran through a dark forest.

He was jolted out of his vision when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and, startled, he whirled around to face Voldemort.

The Dark Lord looked amused, and he said softly, "It is rather amazing, isn't it? Rowena charmed it, to make sure the moon followed the correct phases, and the constellations to change each month. She never did tell me how she did it, thought." He scowled at that. "She said I would end up telling Salazar because apparently he's always after her secrets."

Harry frowned in confusion. Rowena? Salazar? What the hell…

"…_Let me tell you a story to chill the bones  
About a thing that I saw  
One night wandering in the everglades  
I'd one drink but no more…"_

The Boy-Who-Lived froze as the voice penetrated his mind, stirring something within the core of his magic. Something rose up, and Harry found himself swaying to the music, an echoing hum sounding in his throat.

"…_I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight  
Gazing up at the stars  
Not aware of a presence so near to me  
Watching my every move…"_

Beside the boy, Voldemort chuckled. _Of course,_ he thought with a small trace of fondness, _He has the music in his blood. Lily would be so proud._

"…_Feeling scared and I fell to my knees  
As something rushed me from the trees  
Took me to an unholy place  
And that is where I fell from grace…"_

Unheeded by Harry, Voldemort gently gripped the boys arm and started dragging him through the labyrinth of bookshelves, Harry swaying and humming along the way. Voldemort could feel the magic in the air, and felt a slight jab of irritation. _Rowena always was a little too enthusiastic,_ Voldemort thought, _but that didn't mean she could show off at every available moment._ _Stupid Ravensquark._

"…_Then they summoned me over to join in with them  
To the dance of the dead  
Into the circle of fire I followed them  
Into the middle I was led…"_

They finally reached the centre of the labyrinth, the Dark Lord was unsurprised the find Rowena pacing the small clearing with a book in her hands, singing absentmindedly. He coughed to get her attention, and Rowena stopped singing with a startled yelp, tripping over her robes in the process of turning to face Voldemort. Harry had stopped swaying and humming, and was now looking around in confusion. He turned to ask Voldemort what was going on, only to find the Dark Lord laughing his arse of as Rowena struggled up of the ground cursing in a very unlady-like manner.

"Dammit, Tom," she snapped, glaring at said man. "What have I told you about doing that?"

Voldemort's chuckles died down at her glare and coughed, regaining his composer. "Umm… not too?"

"Exactly."

Harry, now extremely confused (which seemed to become more common as minutes pass), asked, "Someone mind telling me what is going on?"

Rowena looked at the boy an smiled. "You are Harry, are you not?"

Harry nodded slowly, trying to figure out who the woman was. For some reason, he felt as if he should know her, for she had a familiar aura of power surrounding her. He shifted the sword in his grasp (he had been carrying it since Voldemort had Apparated him and Bellatrix away), and shifted his weight from one foot to another.

The woman's smile brightened and she gave a small bow. "My name is Rowena Robyn Ravenclaw," she said, her violet eyes bright with amusement. "Co-founder of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at your service."

Once again, Harry found himself gaping. He wasn't thinking when he opened his mouth to say, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?!" of course, when he realized what he had said, he immediately shut his mouth with an audible snap and blushed crimson. He was about to start apologizing profusely when Rowena started laughing.

"Oh Tom," she giggled, he arm around an extremely uncomfortable looking Voldemort's shoulders, "I think I like this one."

"Er, yes," the Dark Lord said and carefully dislodged himself from the still laughing founder.

Harry turned to the Dark Lord. "What's going on?" he asked, feeling rather annoyed with how little information he was getting.

Voldemort hid his smirk behind his hand and called in a slightly muffled voice, "Lady Rowena?"

The woman stopped laughing and turned to him. "Yes, Lord Riddle?"

"shouldn't we go to the others now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty certain they would be very put out if you explained everything without them present."

Rowena paled slightly, already imagining the temper tantrum Godric would throw. "Y-yes, I think we should be going now." She beckoned to Harry and stalked into the labyrinth. Voldemort followed with a sigh.

_This ought to be fun,_ he thought.

**AN: Sorry if it seems a bit bland, it is a kinda filler chapter... oh well. now, I, Seph, have my own fanfic profile, and it goes by RiddlesoftheDark. Check out my HP story, the Innocence of Chaos! GL says so too...**

**Anyways, R&R!**


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